Harbor settlement patterns of the second millennium BC in Cilicia and the Amuq

Abstract

This thesis is a study on harbor settlement patterns in the northeastern Mediterranean of the second millennium BC based on geo-archaeological evidence. The purpose of the thesis is to assess a hypothesis that estuaries (river mouths/ outlets) acted as harbors for settlements in Cilicia and the Amuq. In order to pursue the hypothesis further, river transport and inland river harbors are proposed. The thesis will attempt to answer questions such as how harbor settlements can be inferred from archaeological and geomorphological evidence and how archaeology identifies river harbor settlements.